The Justice Department announced Friday that an additional 30 defendants have been added to the case involving people who stormed Cities Church and allegedly terrorized congregants as part of an organized group in St. Paul, Minnesota, last month.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the development shortly after a request to unseal a superseding indictment was entered on the court docket earlier Friday. The subsequent indictment creates a total of 39 defendants in the case and comes after the original nine defendants from the Jan. 18 protest have already had their initial appearances in arraignments before a federal court.
Today, @thejusticedept unsealed an indictment charging 30 more people who took part in the attack on Cities Church in Minnesota.
At my direction, federal agents have already arrested 25 of them, with more to come throughout the day.
YOU CANNOT ATTACK A HOUSE OF WORSHIP. If you…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) February 27, 2026
“Today, the Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging 30 more people who took part in the attack on Cities Church in Minnesota,” Bondi said, adding that federal agents have arrested 25 so far with “more to come throughout the day.”
“YOU CANNOT ATTACK A HOUSE OF WORSHIP,” Bondi added in her statement to X. “If you do so, you cannot hide from us — we will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you. This Department of Justice STANDS for Christians and all Americans of faith.”
The original group of defendants involved nine protesters, including Nekima Levy-Armstrong, who is alleged to be one of two main organizers of the protest, dubbed “Operation Pullup,” that involved a group of dozens of anti-immigration enforcement protesters storming the church and shutting down worship services.
The superseding indictment does not add any additional charges and accuses all 39 people of violating two civil rights laws. One, a misdemeanor offense, is a violation of the FACE Act, a federal law protecting houses of worship and abortion clinics from harassment, and the other is a felony charge of conspiring to interfere with others’ religious beliefs and rights.
Protesters said they selected the church as a protest spot because they believed a senior pastor there was an official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Video footage captured from the day of the demonstration showed participants interrupting the service and shouting anti-ICE and Trump administration remarks while also confronting some congregants, prompting many to flee and causing at least one congregant to fall and injure herself.
Also included in the initial group of defendants are a pair of reporters, including former CNN host Don Lemon. Lemon pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to violate constitutional rights during a Feb. 13 hearing, where a judge allowed his release on personal recognizance and gave him permission to leave the country for a previously planned trip.
Days later, independent journalist Georgia Fort likewise pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance.
The DOJ has argued that reporters cannot hide behind journalism to avoid consequences for what prosecutors said was a scheme to join the larger group during the January church storming.
Earlier this week, a member of Cities Church, Ann Doucette, filed a federal lawsuit alleging the group of people unlawfully disrupted the service and engaged in “coordinated conduct.” The suit directly names Lemon, pointing out that he live-streamed the incident, “noting congregants’” fears, and that he “appeared to take satisfaction in the disruption.”
The complaint seeks “punitive and exemplary damages” as well as attorneys fees, in addition to injunctive relief restraining defendants and anyone acting in coordination with them from entering Cities Church.
